Improvement in pleasure-vehicles



cubs w. SALLAD EE.

improvement in Pleasure Vehicles.

Patented Jan. 9, I872.

I WYMWMA A. dfloa.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

CYRUS W. sALAnEn'oF sr. OATHARINES, CANADA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLEASURE-VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,536, dated January 9, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

I, CYRUS W. SALADEE, of St. Oatharines, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain Improvements in Pleasure-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to the arrangement and combination of torsion and other springs, as shown in the drawing, to the front and hind axles of pleasure-vehicles and the body of the same in such manner as to discard altogether the ordinary reaches or perches and the attending multiplicity of iron-work, and so as to render the vehicle very materially lighter and cheaper in the mode of its construction.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the vehicle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same with the body removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of the arm A seen in Figs. 1 and 2, with fancy design between the ends. Fig. 4 is a plan of the upper bearing B seen in Figs. 1 and 2, in which are secured and operated the upper ends of the arms A seen in the other figures; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.

In this modification of my invention I use substantially the torsion-springs under my patents for same, dated the 4th day of April, 1871, andmy two several Letters Patent of April 11, 1871, which embrace the use of torsion-springs when so formed and applied as to firmly hold them in the center over the axle, and allowing their outer ends to work freely in suitable bearings; also, in the arrangement of the arms A so that when two or more springs are used over one axle they may operate parallel to each other. The hind end of the body, here shown, is supported by the cross-bars B and B, on the under side of which are secured the iron bearings B seen in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, and into which the upper ends of the arms A are secured and operated. The lower ends of the arms have a square hole, as seen by Fig. 3, which fits the outer squared ends of the torsion-springs A, seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The inner ends of the springs A are also squared, and are fitted into corresponding holes in the central bearings D Fig. 2, while the outer ends are left round where they pass through the outer bearings D, and in which they are permitted to vibrate freely as the upper ends of the arms A are depressed. The springs A over the hind axle I support upon three (3) sets of doublebearings, ofnovel construction, which maybe made of Wrought or malleable ca'stiron.

These bearings are so formed as to have the clip which secures them to the axle a part of the same, as may be seen by Fig. 1. The arms 1 and 2, Fig. 1, terminate at the bottom by forming the clip, seen below the letter (J, and their top ends terminate with the bearings for the springs, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2; and to prevent the spreading apart of the top ends of the arms 1 and 2 the cross-brace J is applied, or made solid with and a part of the arms 1 and 2. On the center cross-brace J is formed a round flat plate, about two and one-halfinches in diameter, on which is set the rubber or other block T, which is designed to serve as a stop to the downward motion of the springs by co1ning in contact with the rear cross-bar B. On the top of the cross-bars B is firmly held the body of the vehicle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The principal feature of novelty in my invention is to be found in the arrangement and combination of the springs, shown in the drawing, to the shafts or thills or pole, and the body and axle in front. The rear ends of the shafts are bent in the usual form, as seen at L, Figs. 1 and 2, and are placed in the rear of the axle, as seen in Fig. 1, about four inches, and rigidly secured to the axle by the short bend in the iron plate 4:, and passing under the axle,

and where it is held by an ordinary clip passing over the top of the axle, as shown in Fig. 1. About three inches back of the cross-bar R of the shafts (see Fig. 2) is framed in a second bar, about the same proportion as the first, and on which I secure a single spring, A and A, on three bearings, as shown, and upon the same principle as the springs over the hind axle. On the upper ends of the arms A is secured the single cross-bar E, in the same man ner as the bars B over the hind axle. On the top of this bar E I secure the circle or fifthwheel H, and on the top of this the short bar F, which connects rigidly with the ends of the body-loop K. If preferred, I may substitute for the torsion-spring.in front a light steel C-spring, secured to the top of the shafts in place of the outer bearings D, now shown. The dotted lines S, Fig. 1, represent the shape of the C-spring, the upper end of which may operate in the bearing B, the same as the top end of the arm A now shown. The perpendicular dotted line through the center of the front axle, in Fig. 1, shows that the weight of the body in front rests upon the top ends of the arms A on a line slightly back of the center of the axle, and thereby so balances the front ends of the shafts as to prevent the weight of the body upon the spring from pressing down the point of the shafts. But when the front ends of the shafts are dropped on the ground the center of gravity over the front axle will be brought in front and over the center, and the weight of the body will press upon the points of the shafts accordingly. So, in like manner, if the shafts are raised up in a perpendicular position the center of gravity will be so far in the rear of the axle as to firmly hold the shafts up against the cross-bar under the fifth-wheel, and which will obviate the necessity of propping up the shafts, as is usual when the vehicle is not in use. The front ends of the shafts are permitted to move up and down to any extent by reason of the joints interposed between the upper ends of the arms A and the cross-bar E under the fifth-wheel H by the bearing B and the rear ends of the shafts bein g rigidly secured to the axle, all rattling at this point is prevented and the connection oheapened. To prevent the front end of the body from falling to the ground in the event one of the springs in front should break, I make use of the leathern braces I and I, which,

in front, pass under the spring and around the cross-bar under it, and the other end around the cross-bar E, as shown by Fig. 2, and there secured.

I claim as my invention 1. The double standard-bearings D and D, formed of two arms, 1 and 2, and terminating at the bottom by forming the clip 0, by which to secure it to the axle; also the brace J, in combination with the arms 1 and 2, the whole being constructed, applied, and operating substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

2. The bearings B Figs. 4 and 5, in combination with the outer ends of the arms A Fig. 1, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as shown and described.

3. The rubber stop T, in combination with the double-standard bearings D and D, as and for the purpose shown and described.

4. The arrangement and combination of the torsion-spring A and A or other springs, as shown in the drawing, with the thills or pole of the vehicle, the latter being rigidly secured at their back ends to the axle, and the lower ends A of the spring A and A being hinged to the cross-bar E supporting the fifth-wheel H and front end of the body, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as shown and described.

Witnesses: CYRUS W. SALADEE.

E. A. SALADEE,

LILLm L. SALADEE. (31) 

